Entrée
Garlic Butter Crab Legs
KING CRAB, SNOW CRAB, OR JUST THE CLAWS, garlic and crab just go together.
This is not a cheap recipe. Anything with crab or lobster is gonna cost you for the crab and lobster. But this simple recipe will turn whichever one you’re serving into a buttery, delicious dish that nobody can resist. My advice: You should definitely inject the crab legs with the butter sauce. If you don’t have an injector, buy one. You’re gonna get your money’s worth out of it with this dish.
Garlic Butter Crab Legs
Garnish & Serve
This is what the final result should look like. You’ll notice that some of the lobsters here have a more mealy or grainy appearance, while others look more “fluffy”. That’s the corn meal. That stuff you use when you fry fish. Which one you use more of is a matter of taste. This recipe calls for more corn meal. But corn meal is heavier than the flour so it can take a little longer to fry. And you will get a little of that cornbread taste that you get with fried fish. If you don’t want that, change the ratio of cornmeal to flour, as in add more flour than corn meal to make the coating more fluffy.
SErving NOtes:
The beauty of this recipe is that it can be made as an appetizer or you can serve it as the main course. As an entrée, you can’t go wrong with a nice side of pasta or rice. But if you’re plating for guests, be sure to garnish it with something pretty. Green onion never hurts. It’s colorful, and it’s really super easy to pick off if your guest doesn’t care for onions. Chives are another pretty possibility, and they’re much less offensive to onion-haters. Parsley is really pretty and basically tasteless.
But I’d stay away from Cilantro, and let me tell you why…it’s nasty as hell! I’m convinced you have to have a special gene for it to taste good. But if you don’t, and I definitely don’t, it’s the perfect way to ruin a good lobster. Doesn’t matter how pretty it is. It tastes like soap to me, and I don’t care how much you paid for it…I’m not eating it. Play it safe. Cilantro is fine if it’s just you. But if you’re serving guests, pick something else.
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Sauce Ideas
A nice seafood sauce would work great as a dip for fried lobster. Make your own by mixing a little mayo (I prefer salad dressing) with ketchup, cayenne pepper, and relish. Or, you could serve it with some Thai chili sauce for an extra kick!
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Side Dish Suggestions
You can make a nice, delicate alfredo pasta to go with fried lobster. Maybe add a little steamed broccoli or some mixed veggies (yawn). But believe it or not, fried lobster is hella good chopped up on a salad.
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Cooking Suggestions
Try olive oil instead of corn or canola oil. It's lighter and much healthier for you. But be careful! It has a lower smoke point. It heats quicker and it'll smoke if it gets too hot. So heat it over a lower flame. And have your ingredients ready before you start heating the oil.